Trophies - NYC

What happens when an international sculptor discovers a musician who preserves and performs the work of a legendary musician?  In the secluded community of Chautauqua, New York, at the LakeArts Foundation Incubator, such a thing happened — New York artist Roland Gebhardt met musician Louis Nicolia. The result is Trophies, an inspired collaboration that brought together sculpture, modern dancers, and the music of Moondog.



With Trophies, Gebhardt has created a provocative look at the art collector as hunter and art as a trophy to be pursued, captured, and displayed on a wall.  Collecting trophies is a common social pursuit. Objects of perceived and real value are used as icons to express one's identity. Trophies are currency of social stature. In this performance piece, establishing and collecting hunting trophies serve as the analogy.

The music is composed by Moondog, a blind street musician who rose from the sidewalks of New York’s 6th Avenue to influence composers such as Phillip Glass, Peter Sellars, Steve Reich, Jon Gibson and Frank Zappa.

In Trophies, it is dance and music that instill abstract masks with life. In this performance— second in an evolving international tour of varying iterations of the piece that introduces new dancers in each city — choreographer Mercedes Searer joined dancers Macklin Kowal and Alexander Leslie Thompson in an athletic, feral interpretation.

The music of Moondog was played by the Half Moon Consort chamber ensemble, founded by violinist Nicolia. Nicolia’s Consort musicians are dedicated to furthering Moondog’s musical legacy. All are skilled performers of the music of "the Viking of Sixth Avenue” and have performed in numerous venues and cities, including Carnegie Hall.

TROPHIES, produced by the LakeArts Foundation, performed in New York at the Jack Hanley Gallery.

Featuring the masks of ROLAND GEBHARDT 
and the legendary music of MOONDOG
performed by LOUIS NICOLIA and HALF MOON CONSORT

Artistic director, Roland Gebhardt
Choreographer, Mercedes Searer
Music director, Louis Nicolia

Dancers
Mercedes Searer
Macklin Kowal
Alexander Leslie Thompson

The LakeArts Foundation, a not-for-profit organization founded in 2009 is committed to the development and presentation of global innovation in the arts and technology through the LakeArts Festival, the LakeArts Media Arts Programs, and the LakeArts Foundation Incubator.